The Hanyou War
by Yami08
Summary: A civil war has broken out between the hanyous and the demons. InuYasha is called out to fight against the demons with his best friend Jack. They fight to protect their town, wives & children. It's been 3 years since they left, will they ever come home?
1. Chapter 1

**The Hanyou War**

**Chapter 1**

**The sun set on the horizon over the barren field as Naoto gazed out his window longingly. He was watching for his father; waiting to see when he'd come home, if he ever did. His father was a member of the Hanyou Army and was out fighting for his people. The Hanyou Army had declared war on the Demon Army in order to gain their freedom from the rule of the demons. It had been three years since Naoto's father had left and his family hadn't gotten a single letter from him since the second year after he left. Reiko and Akiko, Naoto's sisters, had given up hope that their father was ever coming back. Kagome, Naoto's mother, even lost hope and believed her husband to be dead. Naoto swore that he'd never give up on his father and he knew that somehow, someday, his father would come home.**

"**Naoto it's time for bed." His mother said as she came into his room. She saw him looking out the window and she knew exactly why. Kagome sighed and sat next to her son. "Naoto-"**

"**I know he'll come back. He promised that no matter what he'd find a way to come home to us." he responded; interrupting his mother. **

"**Naoto we haven't had a letter from him for an entire year. It's been at least three years since he left, I don't think he's coming back." **

"**He will. He promised me before he left. He even said that as soon as he comes home he'll teach me how fire his gun." Naoto replied; still looking out the window. Kagome sighed again as she looked at her son's face. He had that lonely look his eyes. He was longing to see his father again and he wasn't going to give up hope that his father would come home.**

"**He might come back," she said trying to be as hopeful as her son, "but I wouldn't count on it at this point Naoto." She continued as she turned out the light and walked towards the door. "Now it's time for bed, so please go to sleep."**

"**Okay." Naoto groaned miserably. He plopped into bed still looking out his window. Kagome went down the hall and strait to her bedroom. She closed the door, turned on the light, and opened her dresser drawer. That was where she kept all of the letters her husband wrote to her. Kagome opened the most recent one and began to read it.**

**My Dear Kagome,**

** How are you now? How are the children? I miss you all so much. I'm doing all right, but I suffer from not seeing you. The army is going to move out tomorrow but we don't exactly know where. The commanders in charge say that we might run into another battle. Don't worry about that though, I know that you worry every day. I know that as long as I'm thinking of you and the children that I'll be able to make it through another battle. Just take care of the family and don't worry about me, alright? I promise that I'll come home as soon as I can so tell the children to never loose hope. I'll come home soon. I love you, and I always will.**

** Yours now more then ever,**

** InuYasha**

**Kagome folded the letter up and held it tight. She looked out her window at the night sky, wondering if InuYasha would ever come home to her. She put the letter down and turned off the light. Then Kagome knelt beside her bed and began to pray.**

"**Dear God please let InuYasha come home to me. I can't go on much longer not knowing if he's alive or not. Even if he isn't at least let me know! I can't stand this anxiety any more…please…InuYasha…please come home." She sobbed; burying her head in her arms. Just then the door creaked open and Akiko stood in the doorway looking at her mother.**

"**Mommy, why are you crying?"**

"**Oh, Akiko… I'm sorry I… I didn't see you there." Kagome replied; wiping her tears away. **

"**Why are you sad Mommy?" Akiko asked her mother as she went to her and hugged her.**

"**Oh it's nothing dear… it's nothing." Kagome answered hugging her daughter back. "Come on sweet heart lets get you to bed." **

"**Mommy," Akiko began as they walked into the hallway towards her bedroom.**

"**What is it dear?"**

"**Do you miss Daddy?" she asked; walking into the bedroom that she shared with her older sister Reiko, who was already in bed. Kagome tried to avoid answering Akiko's question by changing the subject. **

"**How about we read a story before bed? It always helps you fall asleep." She said; pulling out a book.**

"**Mommy, I miss Daddy. I want him to come home and read to me like he always did." Akiko answered; sobbing. Kagome knew she couldn't avoid the subject any longer. She put the book down and wiped Akiko's tears.**

"**I know you miss him honey, I miss him too. But we have to move on during times like these. Daddy wouldn't want us to be sad." She replied as she tucked in Akiko. **

"**I know but…but I miss him." **

"**I know Akiko, it's okay." Kagome hugged her daughter as she began to cry. "Please don't cry sweetheart."**

"**Mom what's going on?" Reiko asked sitting up in bed. Akiko's crying woke her up.**

"**Akiko is just upset that's all." Kagome responded; comforting Akiko. Reiko knew why Akiko was crying and she felt it too. She missed her father a lot, but she was trying so hard to move on like her mother had said to.**

"**It's okay Akiko-"Kagome coaxed again but she was interrupted by Akiko.**

"**No it's not! He's never coming back! Never!" she sobbed even more and buried her face in her mother's arms. The door creaked open and Naoto came into the room. He had heard Akiko's crying as well and he came in to see what was going on. There was no need for it though, he knew exactly why she was upset and he was upset too.**

"**Mom will he ever come home?" he asked as he sat on the bed next to her and Akiko. Reiko got out of bed and joined them to comfort her little sister.**

"**You know that answer don't you?" Reiko asked. She was tired of hearing her mother lie and say that he would come back. She knew he wouldn't and she didn't want to hear it any more.**

"**No. I keep telling my self that he will come home, but then again Mom's right. We haven't had a letter from him in a whole year. What if something happened to him?"**

"**Stop it Naoto! You know that something happened to him! Isn't it obvious by now?" Reiko yelled back at her brother. "I'm tired of hearing everyone say that it's alright and that he'll come home, when we all know he won't! He's never coming back!" she got up and started towards the door.**

"**Rieko get back here!" Kagome called after her. "Don't yell at your brother like that! I know it's hard and I know you're tired of hearing the same things over and over, but it's not Naoto's fault! You don't think that I'm tired of hearing and saying the same things over and over again? You don't think that I miss him as much as you do?"**

"**I know you do I just," she tried to talk as tears built up in her eyes, "I just want my Dad back." She sobbed dropping to her knees and crying her heart out. Naoto got up and went over to his sister.**

"**It's okay Reiko, I forgive you. I want him to come home too, and I know he will. He promised me."**

"**It doesn't matter Naoto, don't you get it?" Reiko asked as she sat up and wiped her eyes. "It doesn't matter what he promised. You can't control when you die!"**

"**But Reiko he's not…he can't be…no way! I don't believe you!" Naoto yelled getting up off the floor and backing away from his sister.**

"**Believe it or not it's true! He's dead Naoto!" Reiko yelled back sobbing even more. Naoto had nothing to say after that. He stood there in shock taking everything in and trying so hard to fight his tears.**

"**Stop it both of you!" Kagome yelled after Reiko was finished. "Stop all this yelling! Do you think that this is what your father would want? Would he want us to be fighting and yelling at each other, instead of comforting each other and staying strong? He always told us to stay strong in times like these, and now look what's happening." Kagome replied in a strong loud voice as she put Akiko in bed. She sat right back up and wiped her eyes to see what her mother would do next. Kagome walked over to Reiko and Naoto and pulled them both close to her in a tight hug. **

"**I miss him as much as you do, but we have to be strong and support each other. Okay?" she finished as she hugged her children tighter trying to fight off her tears. Reiko and Naoto could say nothing; instead they hugged their mother back and cried with her. Akiko got up out of bed and went over to them. She wiped away her mother's tears and hugged her too.**

"**Don't cry Mommy. Daddy will be sad." She said; looking up at her mother.**

"**Yes, you're right." Kagome replied as she pulled Akiko into the group hug. They all sat, hugging each other, for a while before Kagome realized that she had to get them to bed. "Come on, let's get to bed alright." She said as she let go of her children. She gave them each a kiss and tucked Akiko and Reiko into bed. Then she took Naoto by the hand and walked him back to his room. **

"**Mother I'm sorry." He said as Kagome tucked him in.**

"**Sorry for what dear?" she asked; sitting next to him on the bed.**

"**I'm sorry for bringing up the subject of Father coming home." He answered as he turned his head towards his window again.**

"**It's alright Naoto. You don't need to apologize for that." She replied; getting up to leave. "We all miss him and it's hard not to bring it up, but we must try to do our best to move forward alright." She added; walking over to the door. Naoto nodded and closed his eyes to try and go to sleep. Kagome smiled and closed the door as she left his room. Once the door was closed behind her she leaned against it and slid down to the floor, burying her head in her arms.**

"**InuYasha…where are you?" she sobbed. Then she lifted her head and looked out the window in the hallway. It overlooked the same view as the one in Naoto's room. Kagome stared out into the field and looked up at the sky. Rain clouds were forming and thunder quietly beginning to boom. Kagome wiped her tears and stood up, turning her back to the window. She walked down the hallway and went back into her bedroom. The thunder boomed a little louder as she turned on her light again. Kagome went over to her closet and took out her nightgown. As she changed she could see her silhouette on the wall, but not as she was now. She saw a younger version of herself on the wall and behind her a younger man. Instead of thunder booming birds were chirping, and it was the afternoon instead of the night. The man behind her was of coarse InuYasha and he was hugging her from behind. She was wearing her slip instead of her nightgown and he was wearing his pants instead of his uniform; which is what she last remembered him wearing. Kagome's silhouette suddenly fell onto the bed with InuYasha's still hugging her. She suddenly got up and playfully pushed him away, and he went back to her. She was against the wall now with InuYasha standing over her. Her eye's met his and the two silhouettes moved closer. InuYasha was standing with her, instead of somewhere in line. Kagome was kissing him, instead of staring into nothing. Then it came to her; she was in fact staring into nothing instead of kissing InuYasha. He was standing in line somewhere, if he was standing at all, and not standing with her. She was standing next to her bed instead of standing against the wall, and her eyes didn't meet his; they met her closet door. She hadn't moved from her spot; playfully pushing InuYasha away or falling on her bed. He undoubtedly hadn't moved from his spot in the middle of the night, if he could move at all. Kagome was wearing her nightgown instead of her slip and InuYasha was undoubtedly wearing his uniform, bloody or not. She was older instead of younger, as was he for sure, and she was alone instead of with him. Kagome was sitting now; sitting on her bed, in her nightgown; she had fallen now, fallen into her pillow, and she was crying now; she was crying alone. Instead of the birds chirping the thunder was booming again, but now it was booming much louder than before. It was so loud that it buried Kagome's already muffled cries. It continued to boom, is if it felt her pain and was mourning with her. Kagome just lay there, with her face in her pillow, crying her eyes out for sometime as memories flashed in her head. Suddenly she sat up and wiped her face of her tears when she heard a noise. It was the sound of a door creaking open and Kagome turned to face her bedroom door, expecting to see one of her children; she saw no one.**

"**Hello? Who's there?" she asked; walking over to the door and continuing to wipe her cheeks until they were dry. She peeked out into the hallway and looked around, no one was there. Kagome went back into her bedroom when she remembered that she hadn't turned off her light, but it was already off. The thunder boomed again and Kagome realized that the power must have gone out because of the storm. She went to her closet and grabbed a candle. She lit it and reached for her robe, but then she noticed InuYasha's robe hanging right next to it. She ran her free hand down the sleeve, it was cold. His robe was never cold because he always wore it when he came home every night. Kagome grabbed his robe instead of hers and put it on, it was much thicker than hers anyway. She left her room, wearing the robe and holding her candle, and walked down the hallway to her daughters' room. She opened the door just a bit to see if they were still in bed. Both Reiko and Akiko were sound asleep, but the nightlight that Kagome kept on for Akiko was off; the power was definitely out. Kagome closed the door and went down to her son's room. She peeked in and he was sound asleep as well. Kagome closed his door and headed back to her room. **

"**I must've been imagining things." She said to herself as she walked back down the hallway. Suddenly she stopped right in front of her door; she heard it again but this time it was the sound of a creaking floor and not a door. Kagome turned and looked around again; listening. She walked to the middle of the hallway and listened again; she heard nothing. She walked to the top of the stairs and listened again; she still heard nothing. Kagome waited a moment before going back to her room; still there was no sound. She sighed and turned to go back to her room. She walked very slowly in case she might hear it again. Kagome reached her room without hearing a thing and she closed the door. She put the candle down on her dresser and went back to her closet. She began to take off InuYasha's robe and put it away when she heard it again; this time it was louder than it was the last two times she heard it; this time it was as if the door was burst open and it had hit the wall in the process.**

"**Okay, now I know I'm not imagining things." She said to herself; putting the robe back on. She bent down to her closet floor, reached behind the clothes, and pulled out a large wooden case. She opened the case, nervous and shaking, and pulled out InuYasha's spare gun. He had left it with them if anything should happen while he was away. Kagome quickly loaded the gun and put the case away. She grabbed the candle again with one hand and held the gun with the other. She immediately headed to her children's rooms to get them up. They had to get to a safe place quickly. Kagome was about to find a way to open the door when it opened and Reiko came out with a shaking Akiko clinging to her arm. She jumped, as Kagome did, at the surprising sight of her mother standing there holding a gun.**

"**It's okay Reiko; I was just coming to get you up." Kagome answered before Reiko could ask.**

"**Right, but why are you holding a gun?"**

"**For protection, your father left his extra gun with me in case anything like this should happen." Kagome explained; handing Reiko the candle. "Here you go, take Akiko with you and go into my bedroom. I'll go and get Naoto; don't come out of my room until I tell you understand?" she explained; heading for Naoto's room. Reiko nodded and pulled Akiko with her to go to her mother's room.**

"**Mommy don't leave!" Akiko yelled back to her mother who had already gone into her brother's room.**

"**It's okay Akiko; Mommy is just going to get Naoto. We have to stay here." Reiko explained as she put the candle on her mother's dresser and picked up her little sister. Akiko hugged her big sister tight as she carried her to the bed. Reiko sat down and tried to calm Akiko by hugging her and rocking back and forth. Kagome came into the room a little while later with Naoto by her side.**

"**Listen to me, all of you." Kagome began in a serious tone as she brought them all close together by the bed. "You must stay hidden no matter what happens understand? You must not leave this room until I tell you and if you hear me fire the gun go and hide in the closet or under the bed okay." **

"**Mother what's going on? Why are we hiding?" Naoto asked as Akiko began to cry and cling tight to Reiko.**

"**Something is going on down stairs and I'm going to find out what it is. You are going to stay here and keep as quiet as possible understand?" she answered as she blew out the candle and went to the door. Naoto nodded and watched his mother leave the room. Once he was sure that she had gone to the stairs he peeked out the door to see what was going on.**

"**Naoto get back here!" Reiko whispered as loud as she could. Naoto completely ignored her and went into the hallway. He wanted to know what was going on and make sure that his mother would be alright. He had promised his father, before he left, that he would protect his mother and take care of her.**

"**Naoto, I said get back here!" Reiko demanded a second time; talking very low instead of whispering. When she realized he wasn't going to listen, or come back, she picked up Akiko and followed him out the door and into the hallway.**

**Kagome walked down the first couple of stairs very slowly and cautiously as she held the gun close to her chest, gripping it tightly with shaking hands. She peered over the banister every once in a while, but she didn't see anything. The thunder boomed as she walked down one more step and stopped to peer over the banister again. In the light of the thunder she saw a figure standing in the doorway; holding a gun. Kagome quickly pulled her head back behind the banister, breathing heavily. She gulped as she clicked the gun to get it ready. **

**The figure's head turned at the sound coming from the stairs. It turned towards the stairs and slowly made its way forward; leaning on the gun it carried as if it was a walking stick.**

**Kagome slowly crept down two more steps and held the gun tight; still breathing heavily. She was convinced that the figure was the enemy and she knew what she had to do. She gulped again and put her finger on the trigger; stepping forwards. Kagome poked the gun and her head out from behind the banister and shouted towards the figure; pointing the gun. "Who's there? What do you want from me?"**

**The figure stopped moving and turned to face Kagome. The thunder boomed again and lit up the doorway for a moment. The figure's face was lit along with the doorway and it was staring at Kagome.**

**Kagome's hands shook with fear as she aimed the gun. As the figure's face was lit up by the thunder Kagome gasped; her whole body shaking. She dropped the gun down the last three steps and put her shaking hands to her face; still breathing heavily as the gun hit the floor.**

**Naoto went to the top of the stairs when he heard a noise. It sounded like his mother had dropped the gun instead of firing it. Reiko and Akiko soon followed Naoto to the stairs; they had heard the noise as well.**

"**What happened?" Akiko asked as she peeked over Reiko's shoulder.**

"**I don't know but it didn't sound good." Reiko answered nervously. **

"**I'm going down there." Naoto said as he started down the stairs.**

"**Naoto, No!" Reiko called after him; trying not to be too loud. Naoto ignored Reiko again and kept going. Reiko shook her head and followed him; still holding Akiko. Naoto stopped in the middle of the stair case and stared down at the doorway as the thunder boomed again. Reiko stopped behind him and stared as well.**

**Kagome slowly walked down the last three steps and stood there staring at the figure in the doorway. She stood breathing heavily; her hands clasped to her mouth; tears rolling down her cheeks that she had no idea were even there. She slowly stepped toward the figure, but she didn't have to go very far. The figure walked towards her as fast as possible, still leaning on the gun. Kagome looked into the eyes of the figure standing before her and the figure looked into hers.**

"**What's going on down there?" Reiko thought as Akiko leaned forward to see what was going on for herself. Naoto just stared down at the doorway watching; his eyes glued to the scene.**

"**It's…you're…you've come home." Kagome said to herself staring at the man in front of her. She ran to him as fast as she could and hugged him tighter than she'd ever hugged him before. "InuYasha I was so scared!" she sobbed as he dropped his gun and held her tight in his arms. He held her close as she cried her eyes out and buried her face in his chest. "I missed you so much! I thought you were dead. I thought that you'd never come home to me." Kagome cried as she blurted everything out to him. InuYasha hugged her tighter and kissed her forehead.**

"**Kagome it's okay, I'm here now. I'm home." He said; still holding her in his arms. Kagome just kept crying; she had to let everything out that she'd kept in for so long.**

"**InuYasha don't ever leave me again." She sobbed as she looked up at the man she'd been longing to see for three long years. InuYasha smiled at the woman he'd missed for so long and wiped her tears away.**

"**Don't worry I'm here now; it's okay." He answered as he hugged her again. Kagome hugged him back this time as she began to cry again.**

"**InuYasha I missed you so much. I don't know what I would've done if you didn't come home." She confessed as she looked up at him again. InuYasha wiped her tears away again.**

"**Well I'm here now so no more crying. I can't stand seeing you like this."**

"**I'm a wreck aren't I? I mean you've been gone for three years and I haven't seen you or hugged you or-" Kagome was interrupted by a long awaited kiss from InuYasha. She kissed him back as more tears ran down her cheeks. She hugged him again and InuYasha never let go once. He held her in his arms for as long as he could.**

"**I love you. I want you know that. I love you no matter what." He said; still hugging Kagome.**

"**I love you too. I've missed you for so long." She replied; still crying. InuYasha was just about to say something when he heard a yell from upstairs.**

"**FATHER'S HOME!" Naoto yelled as loud as he could as he ran down the stairs. **

"**What?" Reiko asked as Naoto ran to his father. She watched him until she could see that her father was really home. "FATHER!" she yelled out as she ran after Naoto, still holding Akiko. **

"**DADDY!" Akiko squealed with joy as Reiko reached the doorway and InuYasha took her in his arms. He held her close as Naoto and Reiko hugged him tight. InuYasha bent down to their level and hugged them all; giving them each a kiss on their foreheads. Kagome stood next to them smiling with happy tears running down her cheeks. She watched as InuYasha hugged Reiko, Naoto, and Akiko close to him as if they would slip away if he let go. They all did the same when they clung to their father who they had missed for so long. Reiko and Naoto were each in one arm while Akiko was in the middle. She hugged her father tight and buried her face in his chest while she cried. When she looked up to see her father she saw Reiko instead. Reiko was looking at Akiko with a horrified look; as if she had seen a ghost.**

"**What?" Akiko asked confused; wiping her tears and clinging to InuYasha.**

"**There's…it's…" Reiko couldn't talk she was so horrified. Kagome noticed the strange expression Reiko had on her face and that it spread to Naoto as well.**

"**What is it?" Kagome asked moving closer to them as Akiko realized it too.**

"**Daddy you-"**

"**It's okay it doesn't matter right now." He interrupted her as he continued to hug them. Kagome bent down and moved closer to InuYasha as Reiko and Naoto moved out of her way. InuYasha was bleeding from wounds on his chest and his leg was badly hurt. Kagome was so focused on the fact that he was home that she didn't realize he was hurt.**

"**Oh my God! InuYasha why didn't you say anything?" Kagome asked; putting her hands to her mouth as she began to cry again. Akiko began to cry too as she looked at her blood covered hands and clung to her father.**

"**NO! Daddy!" she sobbed. **

"**It's okay Akiko I'm fine." He said as he held her close.**

"**No you're not, you're bleeding!" Reiko shrieked as she put her hands to her mouth.**

"**Come on we're going up stairs, right now." Kagome said as she picked up Akiko and gave her to Reiko. Then she turned to InuYasha and helped him up. "Reiko take Akiko, go upstairs to my room, and get some water and towels. Naoto pick up the guns and come up stairs." She said as she headed for the stairs with InuYasha.**

"**Kagome I'm fine, really."**

"**No you're not, you're wounded!" she answered in a worried tone of voice as they started up the stairs. "Why didn't I notice this before?"**

"**Don't blame yourself Kagome. I didn't even notice that they reopened because I was so focused on getting back to you." InuYasha answered as they reached the top of the stairs. Naoto was close behind them carrying the guns with him and Reiko was rushing around to get the towels and water to her mother and father's room.**

"**It doesn't matter. We just need to get you to bed." Kagome replied even more worried as they reached their bedroom doorway. Akiko was sitting on the bed crying as Reiko cleaned off her blood covered hands.**

"**Shhh, it's okay Akiko. Daddy's okay." Reiko said as she picked up her sister and moved out of the way so her father could lie down. Naoto came into the room and put the guns away in the closet. He went over the bedside and stood with Reiko who was holding a sobbing Akiko. Kagome sat on the bed next to InuYasha and started tending to his wounds. She sent the children to bed so they wouldn't have to watch.**

"**I know this is hard to ask but, you all need to get to bed. I promise you can stay with your father all day tomorrow okay?" She asked. Of coarse they all refused to leave and ended up staying in their parents' room for another hour before they finally went to bed. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**The thunder boomed and the rain poured all night. Akiko had cried herself to sleep earlier and Reiko and Naoto had gone to bed after they said goodnight to their father. After finishing with his wounds Kagome finally had a moment alone with InuYasha. She lay there next to him in bed and held him close to her. It had been so long since she lay with him like this, she had slept alone for three years. InuYasha held her close to him as well; he missed lying with her like this as well.**

"**InuYasha I missed you so much. I would lie alone in this bed every night waiting and wondering if you'd ever come home to me." Kagome said as she hugged him tighter.**

"**I missed you too. I thought about you and the children every night and every time we went to battle I would hope that I would see the next day so I would be that much closer to seeing you." InuYasha replied. Kagome smiled and moved closer to him. She shifted her body so that she as now on top of him; InuYasha hugged her tight, pulling her closer to him.**

"**I missed the nights we used to lay together like this." Kagome said as she stroked his forehead, pushing his bangs back. "Right before you came home tonight I suddenly remembered the first night we moved here and how we fooled around when we were getting ready for bed."**

"**You mean the time when I knocked you over onto the bed and you pushed me away?" he asked smiling at her.**

"**Yes. I remember when you snuck up on me and bear hugged me from behind." She answered giggling, still playing with his bangs. **

"**Yeah and how I cornered you so you had to kiss me before you went back to the bed." InuYasha replied laughing with her.**

"**Yes I remember that too, but I especially remember that kiss." Kagome said moving closer to InuYasha. **

"**Yeah, me too." He said moving closer to her. Kagome kissed him and he kissed her back, pulling her closer. Kagome pulled away from the kiss to smile at InuYasha and tell him that she loved him. They said goodnight and fell asleep in each other's arms; something Kagome had been longing for since the first night she slept alone.**

**Kagome awoke the next morning to find InuYasha still sleeping next to her. She smiled and kissed his forehead. She got out of bed and put on her robe quietly so she wouldn't wake him. She went down the hall and peeked into her daughters' room, only to find them still asleep. Then she peeked into her son's room and found that he was missing from his bed. She opened the door wider and found him asleep on the chair next to his window. He was fast asleep with his head resting on his arms on the windowsill. Kagome went over to his bed, took the blanket, and went over to him to cover him. He had left the window open and the cool spring breeze filled the room. Kagome opened the window a little more so she could feel the breeze before closing it. Then she left Naoto's room and went down stairs to put up her tea. It was not long before Kagome heard someone coming down stairs. She turned to find Naoto coming into the kitchen; wrapped in the blanket she had covered him in.**

"**Good morning Naoto. Did you sleep okay?" she asked as she turned back to her tea.**

"**Yes, good morning Mother." He answered as he sat down at the table. He turned towards the window when he heard the sound of horses clomping outside. "Mother look, someone's coming." He said, pointing out the window. Kagome went to the window to see who it was and she smiled when she saw him.**

"**Oh my god it's been such a long time." She said as she ran to open the door.**

"**Who is it Mother?" Naoto asked as he followed her to the door; dropping his blanket on the floor in the process. **

"**Jack it's so nice to see you." Kagome exclaimed as she opened the door and let him in.**

"**Kagome it's been a while, how are you?" he asked as he came inside and Kagome closed the door behind him. **

"**Uncle Jack!" Naoto exclaimed realizing who it was that had come to visit. Jack was a very close family friend; Kagome and InuYasha grew up with him and his wife Akemi though out high school years. He was a hanyou like InuYasha and was like an uncle to the children.**

"**Hey Naoto, I haven't seen you in a while. How'd you get so big?" he said hugging Naoto and messing up his hair.**

"**Hey Uncle Jack guess what." **

"**What?"**

"**Father came home last night!" he answered very excited.**

"**Did he now, " Jack replied as he turned to Kagome, "and how is he? Did he make it here okay?"**

"**Yes. He came home wounded, but he's all right now. He's actually still in bed. What about you, did you make it home okay?" Kagome asked as they made their way into the kitchen.**

"**Yeah I made it home alright, but my horse was in bad shape." He answered as he sat down at the table next to Naoto.**

"**What happened to Old Jasper?" Kagome asked as she poured some tea for them. Old Jasper was Jack's horse who had been in his family ever since he was Naoto's age.**

"**He was badly injured in both back legs and he had burns all over his chest and his neck. He was limping the whole way home yet he still managed to get me there before he collapsed in the yard." Jack answered as he took a sip of tea and thanked Kagome.**

"**Oh that poor horse is he alright now?" she asked as she got up to pour some milk for Naoto.**

"**He died this morning." Jack answered looking at his reflection in the tea.**

"**I'm sorry. He was such a good horse." Kagome said sitting down again with Naoto.**

"**Yes he was. It seems like just yesterday when he saved my life in battle." Jack said as he took another sip of his tea.**

"**What happened in battle?" Naoto asked eager to hear the story.**

"**Well, we were under cannon fire in the middle of the night and the tent right next to mine was on fire. I knew that my tent would catch fire next so I ran outside to find that half the camp was up in flames. The fire was spreading quickly and we had to move out fast. I untied Old Jasper and was about to leave the camp when a cannon landed a few feet in front of me. I was thrown off Old Jasper as surrounded by fire. My leg was in bad shape and I couldn't walk; I thought I was going to burn to death when Old Jasper ran through the wall of fire. I grabbed onto his saddle and he pulled me out of the circle of fire before I was completely consumed. He got burnt up pretty bad after that, but he was all right for a couple of days. I owe my life to that horse." Jack finished his story and took a sip of his tea. Naoto was silent as he finished up his milk and Kagome silently stirred honey into her tea. The silence lasted until Naoto finished his milk.**

"**I'm done. Mother, can I go and check on Father?" he asked as he got up and put his glass in the sink.**

"**Yes, but if he's asleep do not wake him up. He needs his rest." she answered taking a sip of her tea. Naoto said goodbye to Jack and ran upstairs to his mother and father's room. He turned the knob very slowly and was about the open the door when Reiko spotted him.**

"**Naoto what are you doing? Father needs to rest, leave him be!" she scolded him as she walked over to him and grabbed the doorknob to close the door.**

"**Reiko, it's alright he can come in." InuYasha called from inside the room.**

"**Father, you're awake!" Reiko exclaimed smiling as she walked past Naoto and into the room with Naoto close behind. **

"**Father are you gonna be alright now?" Naoto asked as soon as he reached InuYasha's bedside.**

"**Yes, I'll be alright Naoto." he answered smiling at his son and patting his head.**

"**Father, when will you be able to get up?" Reiko asked as she sat down on the bed next to him.**

"**Soon Reiko, real soon." He answered as Naoto ran towards the closet and pulled out one of the guns.**

"**Father, when you get better will you teach me to fire you're gun like you promised?" he asked as he held the gun up and pretended to shoot the wall. **

"**Yes Naoto, I'll teach you everything I know about firing that gun." InuYasha answered laughing as his son made shooting noises to seem like he was firing the gun.**

"**POW POW!" Naoto yelled running around the room. Reiko laughed at the noises as well as she watched her brother run around holding the gun in the air. "POW!" he yelled again as Akiko came into the room.**

"**Naoto get away!" she yelled as she ran to her father's bedside and climbed on top of the bed. She cuddled up with InuYasha and hid under the blankets.**

"**Alright Naoto enough with the gun your scaring your sister." InuYasha said as Naoto crept up to the bedside where Akiko was hiding.**

"**Okay." Naoto sighed as he slumped over to the closet and put the gun away. **

**Jack had finished his tea and thanked Kagome again. She told him not to mention it as she put the teacups in the sink.**

"**Well I guess I should get going before Akemi gets worried." Jack said as he made his way to the door. **

"**Yes I guess you should. Speaking of Akemi, say hello to her for me." Kagome said as she followed Jack to the door.**

"**Okay I will." **

**She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek to say goodbye. He turned to go out the door, but something stopped him.**

"**Oh, Kagome I almost forgot." he said turning around.**

"**What is it?"**

"**It's about the town not to far from here." Jack answered reaching into his pocket and pulling out a slip of paper. Kagome's eyes widened at the sight of the paper as she took it from Jack.**

"**Oh God…tell me it's not what I think it is Jack." she pleaded looking up from the paper.**

"**I'm afraid it is Kagome. I wish it wasn't me who had to tell you this but the town I referred to before was attacked by the demons and it's now under their control. If the army doesn't act soon it'll be this town next." Jack explained. Kagome looked at the slip of paper and then at Jack.**

"**Jack tell me this isn't happening; tell me I won't loose him again." she pleaded as she burst out in tears. Jack took her in his arms and hugged her to try and calm her down. Kagome buried her face in his chest, crying her eyes out.**

"**No…no this can't be happening…no!" she cried.**

"**I'm sorry Kagome. I don't want this to happen anymore than you do because I'll have to leave my family again, but if I don't then there's a chance that they'll be killed, and I can't risk that. I'm sure once InuYasha finds out he'll think the same way." Jack said still hugging Kagome. She said nothing, she just kept crying. She knew that Jack was right and the thought of InuYasha leaving her again was eating away at her. Jack was about to say something but he couldn't; he didn't know what to say. Instead he turned his head towards the stairs when he heard a noise. It was Akiko coming down stairs.**

"**Uncle Jack?" she said as she came down stairs.**

"**Hello Akiko." he replied. Kagome lifted her head off his chest and quickly wiped her tears at the sound of her daughter's name.**

"**Mommy what's wrong?" Akiko asked as Kagome came out of Jack's arms and turned to face her.**

"**It's nothing honey, Mommy's okay now." Kagome answered picking up her youngest daughter. "Say hello to Uncle Jack, he came all this way to come and see us." She said trying to change the subject. **

"**Hello Uncle Jack, where's Aunt Akemi?" she asked as Kagome gave her to Jack so she could say hello.**

"**Hello Akiko, Aunt Akemi is home with Emiko and Brian. She told me to tell you that she says hello." He answered giving Akiko a hug and putting her down. **

"**Will we see them soon?" Akiko asked.**

"**I don't know Akiko but I'll tell your cousins you said hello, okay."**

"**Okay." Akiko replied cheerfully as she ran back upstairs calling for her brother and sister. **

"**I guess you should say hello to everyone before you leave Jack. The children haven't seen you in a while, and they might not get to after this." Kagome suggested clutching the slip of paper he had given to her earlier. **

"**Don't think like that Kagome. Everything's gonna be fine." Jack said. **

"**Everything is fine," a voice from the stairs replied, "unless there's something I missed." **

"**InuYasha, you're awake." Kagome said looking up towards the stairs. InuYasha was standing at the top of the stairs with Reiko, Naoto, and Akiko standing around him. **

"**InuYasha I'm glad to see you made it home okay." Jack said as InuYasha came down stairs along with Reiko, Naoto, and Akiko.**

"**Same here Jack. Now what's this I hear about everything not being fine?" he asked. Jack said hello to Reiko and told InuYasha to follow him into the kitchen. InuYasha sent the children to go and play in the living room, he could tell by Jack's expression that whatever he was going to hear might not be good. He sat down at the kitchen table, with Kagome, and Jack explained everything.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Reiko, Naoto, and Akiko sat in the living room while the adults talked in the kitchen. Reiko sat on the couch looking out the window, deep in thought, while Naoto and Akiko played jacks on the floor. She was so happy that her father had returned home and she couldn't wait for him to fully recover. As she stared out into the garden they had in the backyard, she saw something. A small girl was in the garden now; she looked very much like Reiko when she was as young as Akiko. The girl was picking a bouquet of purple flowers and tying them together with a purple ribbon. Then a man came out of nowhere and scooped up the small girl into his arms. The girl was smiling and laughing as she hugged the man, who looked very much like InuYasha when he was a little bit younger. He was smiling and holding up the girl as they spun around in the garden. The girl laughed as she held out her arms, the bouquet blowing in the wind, and spun through the air in her father's arms. Then all of a sudden the man and the small girl disappeared from the garden and it was empty again. Reiko realized that she had fallen deep into a memory, a memory of her and her father together. She smiled as she turned to her little brother and sister, who were still playing jacks. She was happy to see them happy and that soon everything would return to normal, unaware that her father was going to leave again soon.**

**The three of them were silent for a while; no one knew what to say. Jack sat with his head leaning on his arm, looking down at the table. InuYasha sat with one hand on the table and the other on his lap under that table. Kagome sat with both hands under the table, clasped around InuYasha's hand. They all knew what would happen if Jack and InuYasha didn't leave again but none of them wanted to accept it, especially Kagome. Finally the silence broke.**

"**So now what, we leave our families again and stop the attack?" InuYasha asked looking at Jack.**

"**Yeah, we have to other wise they could be killed and I know you wouldn't wanna risk that anymore that I would." He answered. **

"**You know me too well." InuYasha replied. He turned to Kagome who clasped his hand tighter as if to say "don't go". "Kagome, this is how it has to be. It's for your sake as much as the children's."**

"**I know that but I…I can't loose you again." She sobbed as let go of his hand left the kitchen. She ran upstairs sobbing and covering her face. InuYasha put his elbows on the table and put his head in his hands.**

"**What am I gonna do Jack? I can't leave them again so soon." He asked not looking up from the table.**

"**I know what you mean; I promised Brian I'd play catch with him everyday this week to make up for not seeing him. I don't know how I'm gonna break this to him."**

"**I don't know how I'm gonna tell Naoto either. I promised him I'd teach him to fire a gun now that he's older." InuYasha replied lifting up his head. Jack sighed; he remembered how happy his family was when he came home.**

"**Just the look that I saw on their faces when they saw me come home is something I'll have to remember when I tell them. Emiko was crying and she came running to me; Brian and Akemi too. They were all so happy, and now they have to suffer again." Jack replied taking his head off his hand and putting his hands together. InuYasha nodded; he remembered what happened when he came home as well.**

"**I'll never forget that feeling of longing to see them and then coming back to them after so long. I felt like I was home again, I was where I belonged." InuYasha added. They both sat there in silence, thinking about how they could possibly tell the children. Jack sighed and got up from the table. **

"**I guess I should get going. I have some explaining to do." He said as he walked towards the door. InuYasha nodded and followed him to open the door. Reiko, Naoto, and Akiko came into the hall in front of the door as Jack was about to leave to say goodbye to their uncle. **

"**Goodbye everyone, behave for your parents okay." Jack said as he hugged them all goodbye. InuYasha said goodbye to him and closed the door as Jack left. He took a deep breath before letting go of the doorknob and turning to his children. Reiko's smile disappeared when she saw her father's face. She knew there was something wrong. **

"**Come on guys lets go eat something okay." He said as he picked up Akiko and went back into the kitchen. Naoto and Reiko followed their father and sat down at the table.**

"**Daddy can I have so juice?" Akiko asked as InuYasha put her in her booster seat.**

"**Sure," he answered turning to Reiko and Naoto, "what about you two?"**

"**I had some milk before." Naoto answered as he got up to check the fridge for food.**

"**I'm not hungry." Reiko answered looking down at the table. InuYasha sighed and sat down next to her.**

"**What's the matter? Usually you're the first one to ask for food, unless that's different now."**

"**Nothing's different I just…" Reiko tried to answer but she didn't know what to say. She looked down again.**

"**What?"**

"**I just think that we should all have breakfast together as a family again. I'll go and get mother." She answered quickly making up a lie. InuYasha could tell that she was lying, but he didn't want to bring up the subject of him leaving until later.**

"**Alright then, go get her." He answered getting up from the table to get Akiko her milk. Reiko just sat there blinking in confusion; she knew he could tell she was lying, so why wasn't he making her talk? Reiko couldn't take it anymore, she had to ask her father what he was hiding. **

"**Father I have to ask you something."**

"**Go ahead." He replied smiling as he got Akiko a glass. He knew she would talk.**

"**Is there something that you have to tell us, because when you looked at us after Uncle Jack left you had a look on your face like something was bothering you?" **

"**Nothing is bothering me, is that what you were so upset about?" InuYasha asked as he began to pour Akiko her milk. Reiko was just about to protest when Kagome came into the kitchen. **

"**Good morning every one." She said; not in her usual happy tone of voice. **

"**Good morning Mother, do we have any more eggs?" Naoto asked from behind the refrigerator door. **

"**Yes they're in the back. Let me get them out." Kagome answered walking over to the fridge. Naoto went back to the table followed by Akiko carrying her glass of milk. Naoto helped his little sister back into her booster seat. **

"**Why is everyone so quiet?" Akiko asked as Naoto pushed her chair into the table.**

"**That's what I'd like to know." Reiko answered staring at her mother and father. InuYasha had opened the cabinet to get a glass for himself and he stopped reaching for one. Kagome had taken the pan out and put it on the stove and was about to take out an egg and she stopped opening the carton. They both stood there for a moment and looked at each other, and then they went back to what they were doing. "You two look as guilty as ever! Something's going on and I wanna now what." Reiko snapped slapping her hand down on the table and standing up. Kagome put the egg down and sighed. She turned to face Reiko and was about to answer her, but she felt a hand on her shoulder when she tried to speak. It was InuYasha's and he was shaking his head as if to say "not now." Kagome nodded her head in agreement and suggested they should talk after breakfast.**

"**Talk about what?" Reiko asked still standing.**

"**We'll tell you after breakfast. I want you to eat something first because after we talk you may not want to." Kagome answered walking over to the table to ask Naoto how he wanted his eggs.**

"**I want eggs too Mommy." Akiko said after Naoto told her he wanted sunny side up eggs. Reiko sat back down, folded her arms across her chest, and didn't say another word until they were done eating breakfast. **

**InuYasha brought the children into the living room while Kagome washed the dishes. She didn't want to hear what he had to say, once was enough. Reiko sat on the couch next to her father right away anxiously waiting to hear what he was hiding. Naoto and Akiko sat on the floor in front of the couch so they could hear too. InuYasha took a deep breath before he said anything, he had to think of how he was going to tell his children the bad news.**

"**Alright I'm gonna be honest with you, you're not gonna like what I have to tell you," he began as the smiles vanished from all three of there faces, "but you need to know. The reason I left you in the first place was to make sure that the demons wouldn't come and attack the town where we live."**

"**The demons were gonna come attack us?" Naoto asked.**

"**Yes, and I had to leave to stop them, but now they're back and they've already attacked the town that's not too far from here."**

"**They're not gonna attack this town next are they?" Reiko asked as she began to understand where the conversation was going.**

"**I'm not sure that's why," he paused and took a deep breath, "that's why I have to leave again."**

"**You have to what? You can't leave again! Not when you just came home!" Reiko yelled as she got up from the couch.**

"**Reiko I have no choice I have to or-"**

"**Or what? If you leave again you might never come home! You can't leave!" Reiko yelled interrupting her father as tears ran down her cheeks. **

"**Father please don't leave us again." Naoto begged as he sat next to InuYasha and clung to his arm. Akiko followed her brother and clung to InuYasha's other arm, crying. "Daddy please don't go!"**

**InuYasha sighed and looked at his children's faces. He couldn't say anything to make them feel better now. Naoto clung to his left arm, sobbing now, and Akiko crawled into his lap burying her face in his chest as she cried. Reiko stood there in front of them staring at her father in disbelief, tears still running down her cheeks. InuYasha put his right arm around Akiko to try and clam her down and looked at Reiko.**

"**Look," he sighed, "you're not making this any easier for me, and I'm not saying that it is. I have to leave again or the demons could come and attack here next. I'm doing this for you Reiko, for you and your mother and your brother and sister. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you, even if that means I have to leave you again. Please try to understand that I don't want to leave, I have to." **

**Reiko couldn't say anything, she just stood there trying to take it all in. She looked at her brother and sister, who were both still crying and clinging to their father. She turned towards her mother, who had finished the dishes and was sitting at the table with her head in her arms, she was crying. Reiko turned around and ran upstairs covering her face as she cried. She ran into her room and slammed the door shut. InuYasha sat there on the couch hugging Naoto and Akiko in silence. The only things he could hear were the cries of his children and his wife, and the howl of the afternoon wind.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Night came faster than it ever had before, but it was a different kind of night. InuYasha and Kagome said nothing to each other and the children were silent as well. They ate dinner in silence and went strait to bed. InuYasha and Kagome stayed downstairs a while before going to bed themselves. They had to break the silent tension.**

"**InuYasha are you really going to leave me again?" Kagome asked as she sat next to him at the table.**

"**You know I have no choice." He answered looking down at her hands. They were clasped together and shaking. InuYasha sighed and put his hands over hers; they were so warm and hers were so cold. "I don't want to leave you again; that's the last thing I want to do after just coming home, but I have to or you could be killed."**

"**I know that InuYasha but I," she stopped to fight back her tears, "all I wanted for three years was to see you again. Now after all this time you've finally come back and you have to leave me again. I just wish it wasn't true, I wish it was all a dream! Why? Why did you come back to me if you were just going to leave again?" she sobbed as she fell into his arms and cried. InuYasha hugged her and held her close.**

"**I wish I didn't have to leave you again Kagome." He answered stilling hugging her as she cried. "I wish it didn't have to be this way, I wish I could stay with you and never have to leave again, but I can't."**

"**InuYasha please, please don't leave me again. I can't take this anymore." Kagome sobbed as she came out of his arms and looked at him. InuYasha wiped her tears and looked at her. He saw the sadness in her eyes and he wished it wasn't there. She saw the troubled look in his eyes and she wished it wasn't there. InuYasha took her in his arms again and held her close. Kagome hugged him back and tried to stop crying.**

"**I love you Kagome. I want you to promise me that you'll never forget."**

"**I promise."**

**Kagome waited in her room while InuYasha went to say goodnight to the children. He opened the door to Naoto's room first and peeked inside. Naoto was laying on his side staring out his window. He turned his head when the door opened and then he looked back out the window. InuYasha sighed and sat next to Naoto. He immediately sat up and turned to his father.**

"**Do you really have to go?" he asked.**

"**Yes Naoto, I have to go. You know what will happen if I don't."**

"**So what if the demons come, you can fight them off here can't you?" he said looking back out the window. "There's plenty of space to kick their butts out there." He said pointing to the field in front of the house. InuYasha smiled and shook his head.**

"**Naoto that wouldn't be a very good idea."**

"**Why not?" Naoto asked turning around to face his father again.**

"**Because you could get eaten that's why." InuYasha answered as he took his son into his arms and tickled him. Naoto laughed and kicked his feet in the air as InuYasha growled pretending to be a demon.**

"**Oh no the demon's gonna eat me!" Naoto yelled as he got away from his father and went towards his pillow.**

"**You can't escape the demon!" InuYasha said as he followed his son and tickled him again. Naoto laughed as they fell off the bed and InuYasha put the blanket over his head.**

"**You've blinded me! I can't see!"**

"**Ha ha now I've got you demon!" Naoto yelled jumping on top of the blanket growling.**

"**What's going on in here?" Kagome asked as she came into the room. "I can hear you two from all the way down the hall."**

"**He started it!" Naoto explained pointing at InuYasha.**

"**I started it? Now you're gonna get it." He warned as he pulled Naoto under the blanket and ticked him again.**

"**Oh no the demon's got me again!" Naoto yelled as he kicked his feet and the blanket went up in the air. Kagome smiled as she watched them laughing together. She was about to run into the room when she felt a tug on her dress.**

"**Mommy what's going on?" Akiko asked rubbing her eyes. She had woken up because of the noise. Reiko was behind her for the same reason.**

"**We're just having a little fun." She smiled. Then she picked up Akiko and ran into the room. Reiko stood in the doorway with her arms folded and watched as Akiko went under the blanket and InuYasha tickled her while Kagome came from behind him and tickled him. They all laughed as Naoto, Akiko, and Kagome ganged up on InuYasha and ticked him altogether. **

"**How could they all be so blind?" Reiko mumbled to her self as she turned around and went back to her room. InuYasha saw her leave.**

"**Hang on guys I'll be right back, you can gang up on Mommy while I'm gone okay?" he said as he got up and went after Reiko. **

"**Oh aren't you funny." Kagome said sarcastically as Naoto and Akiko cheered and got ready to tickle her. InuYasha went down the hall and stopped at Reiko's door. He took a deep breath and opened it to find her lying in bed and under the covers; she was crying.**

"**Reiko are you okay?" InuYasha asked walking over to her bed and sitting down next to her. **

"**No I'm not and you know perfectly well why." She answered pulling the covers up higher over her head. InuYasha sighed and pulled the covers off her head.**

"**Come on Reiko don't make this any harder than it already is." He said. She didn't answer. "Look, you know I don't want to leave you guys again but I have to. If I don't go back-"**

"**Then what? Some demons will come to our house? Why is that such a big deal? Can't you just fight them off here?" she asked sitting up, but facing the wall with her arms folded.**

"**No I can't fight them off here and you know why. Reiko, please try to understand." **

"**Understand what? I know you have to leave and I know you don't want to, but why did you have to come back in the first place if you were just gonna leave again?" she asked turning to face her father with tears in her eyes. He wiped them away as he spoke to her.**

"**Reiko, all I wanted for three years was to see you all again. The thought of coming home to you all is what kept me going through every battle we faced. Never once did I stop dreaming of the day I would finally come home. I had no idea this would happen, no one did. If I had known ahead of time that I would've had to leave again so soon then I wouldn't have come home. I wouldn't want to do this to any of you, but I didn't know, I couldn't have known. Do you understand?" he asked. Reiko looked up at her father, more tears dripping down her cheeks. She suddenly burst into tears and blurted everything out as she fell into his arms.**

"**Oh Father I waited every day and every night since you left for you to come home! I never stopped dreaming of the day you'd come home and the war would be over! All I wanted was for you to come back and for everything to go back to the way it was when I was little. Why did this stupid war have to happen in the first place?" she sobbed hugging her father tight. InuYasha hugged her back and wiped her tears away again.**

"**It's alright at least I'm here now," he coaxed, "I don't want you be upset like this or think of what might happen after I leave again. I just want you all to be happy no matter what happens to me. That's why I'm going back and fighting this war. Because I know I have something worth fighting for and that's you and your brother and sister and your mother, all of you. Without you guys I'm nothing, so when you're upset I'm upset too. Do you understand why I have to go now?" he asked as his daughter looked up at him and he wiped away her final tears. Reiko nodded and hugged her father even tighter.**

"**Just promise me that you'll come back to see us happy Father." She said as she looked up at him again.**

"**I promise." He answered. Reiko smiled and got up out of bed, taking her father's hand.**

"**Come on we don't wanna miss out on the fun before you have to leave again do we?" she asked smiling. **

"**That's my girl." InuYasha said to himself as he nodded and followed his daughter to her brother's room.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**The sun was beginning to rise as InuYasha opened his eyes. He looked around him and saw his family all soundly sleeping around him. He was leaned up against the wall with his wife leaning on his shoulder. He looked down at her smiling while she slept and he smiled too. Then InuYasha turned to his children and smiled at them. Reiko was leaned up against the wall on Naoto's bed with Akiko sleeping in her lap. Naoto was wrapped up in his blanket on the floor next to his bed. All of them where smiling. InuYasha kept smiling looking at his family happy. He leaned his head on Kagome's as he looked out the window and watched the sun rise. Then he heard a familiar voice calling to him.**

"**InuYasha…" Kagome said to her self as she slept, "InuYasha don't leave me…don't leave me all alone." Kagome suddenly opened her eyes and saw InuYasha smiling at her.**

"**It's alright I'm here now." He said putting his arm around her. Kagome smiled and moved closer to him, snuggling up against his chest and hugging him.**

"**I'm glad." She smiled. Then she looked out the window and stared at the sunrise. "It's beautiful isn't it?"**

"**Yeah, but it doesn't come close to you." InuYasha replied still looking out the window. Kagome smiled and leaned her head back on InuYasha's shoulder.**

"**Are you sure about that?" she asked closing her eyes.**

"**Yup, 110% percent sure." He answered lifting her head up to face him. Kagome smiled, staring into his eyes, and then she moved closer to him and kissed him. Just as the two of them broke the kiss and Kagome leaned on InuYasha's shoulder again Naoto opened his eyes. **

"**Mornin." He yawned.**

"**Good morning sleepy head." Kagome said as Akiko woke up too. She slowly sat up and climbed down from the bed moving towards her mother and father. **

"**Good morning sleepy head number two." Kagome giggled as Akiko climbed into her lap and curled up.**

"**Good morning Mommy." She said looking up at her mother. Then she turned to InuYasha. "Good morning Daddy."**

"**Good morning." He replied yawning and rubbing his eyes. "Who's hungry?"**

"**I am." A voice replied from Naoto's bed. Reiko poked her head out and hung upside down over the side of the bed. **

"**Now that I mention food she gets up." InuYasha said as Reiko got down from the bed.**

"**Hey! I wouldn't talk if I were you Dad. Mother says that I get it from you!" she said as she ran towards InuYasha as he was getting up and jumped on his back. **

"**Did she now? Well, we'll see about that." He said as he ran downstairs with Rieko on his back. **

"**Whee!" Reiko shouted as they ran downstairs.**

"**Wait for me!" Naoto called after them as he ran to catch up. Kagome shook her head and looked down at Akiko.**

"**Ready to go eat now?" Kagome asked as she picked her up. Akiko nodded as they left the room and went downstairs to eat breakfast. **

**The whole family was finally together for breakfast when there was a knock at the door.**

"**I'll get it!" Naoto yelled as he pushed his chair away from the table. He ran to the door and unlocked it as InuYasha got up from his seat to go see who it was. Naoto's smile disappeared from his face when saw who it was.**

"**Who is it Naoto?" InuYasha asked coming up behind him. He knew who it was as soon as he saw him. Naoto stood still looking at the man standing in the doorway. InuYasha walked up next to his son and bent down to his height. He whispered something in his ear and Naoto nodded swallowing the lump in his throat. InuYasha got up and rustled Naoto's hair and walked outside onto the front porch with the man in their doorway. Naoto stood there in silence as the door closed. **

"**Who was that Naoto?" Kagome asked as she came into the hallway behind him.**

"**Where's father?" Reiko asked as she came into the hallway followed by Akiko.**

"**Naoto what's the matter?" Kagome asked as she walked over to her son. He hadn't moved from his spot and she had a feeling that something wasn't right.**

"**I'm…not supposed to tell." He said not moving from his spot with his hands clenched into fists. Kagome and Reiko stood there as Akiko ran back into the kitchen. She kneeled on Reiko's chair and pushed the curtains out of the way so she could look out the window. She saw her father outside talking with a strange man who she had never seen before. The glass was closed, so she couldn't hear what they were saying, but she could tell by her father's face what they were talking about. Reiko noticed that Akiko was missing from the hallway and went back into the kitchen to find her sister.**

"**Akiko what are you doing?" she asked as she came up behind her sister and looked out the window with her. Naoto turned his head and saw that his sisters were looking out the window and he went into the kitchen followed by his mother.**

"**Mommy who is that man?" Akiko asked pointing to the strange man InuYasha was talking to. Kagome gasped and clasped her hands over her mouth. She didn't know who he was, but she knew why he was there. She could tell by the way he was dressed; he was wearing the same uniform that InuYasha wore when he left. "Mommy what's the matter?" Akiko asked getting down from the chair and walking over to Kagome. She stood there staring out the window and then she turned her back to it. Akiko walked in front of her mother and looked up at her. She felt something wet drop on her head as her mother bent down and hugged her tight. "Mommy are you crying?" Akiko asked. Kagome didn't answer, she just kept hugging her daughter and sobbing. Reiko and Naoto turned around and went back to the hallway. They had been watching their father talk and when they saw him walk towards the door they ran to it waiting for him to come inside. The man he had been talking to had just left and InuYasha went back inside. He came in to find Naoto and Reiko waiting for him. InuYasha was holding a piece of paper, folded up and hidden in his fist.**

"**Who was that Father?" Reiko asked he looked down at them.**

"**That was a friend of mine." InuYasha began as he walked into the kitchen. Kagome had gotten up and was sitting at the table looking out the window watching the man leave. Akiko ran to her father.**

"**Daddy why did that man come?" she asked as he picked her up and put her in her booster seat. Reiko and Naoto followed InuYasha into the kitchen and sat down on either side of their mother. She turned her head from the window and looked at her husband who sat across from her.**

"**Father, what did your friend want?" Reiko asked.**

"**He came to give me this." InuYasha continued handing Kagome the piece of paper he had hidden in his fist. Kagome took the paper and unfolded it. She took a few minutes to read it and then she looked up from the paper at InuYasha.**

"**Mother what does it say?" Naoto asked. Reiko peered over her mother's shoulder and read the piece of paper. The smile reappeared on her face as she read the notice on the paper. "What does it say? I can't see it." Naoto said trying to look over Kagome's shoulder. She was smiling too and so was InuYasha as he held her hand.**

"**Can I say it Mother?" Reiko asked. Kagome nodded as she smiled even more and she held InuYasha's hand back. "It says that Father won't have to leave us until next month! He can stay with us for a while!" Reiko shouted as she jumped up and down taking her brother's hands. They both jumped up and down and spun around cheering they were so happy. Akiko held her arms up in the air and cheered with her brother and sister. Kagome laughed and cried at the same time and leaned across the table towards InuYasha. He leaned across the table towards her until their heads touched. They smiled at each other as InuYasha wiped away Kagome's tears.**

"**I was so scared that he was coming to tell us that you had to leave right away." Kagome explained as she held both of InuYasha's hands.**

"**Me too." He answered as relieved as she was. **


End file.
